This application is related to U.S. Patent application entitled xe2x80x9cELECTRICAL CONNECTOR WITH REAR GROUND PLATExe2x80x9d, which is contemporaneously filed, and assigned to the common assignee.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to electrical connectors and more particularly, to a multi-port modular jack having retention means for securing a shell to an insulative housing.
2. Description of the Related Art
High-speed modular jacks usually have metallic shells for avoiding electromagnetic interference (EMI). U.S. Pat. No. 5,378,172 issued to Roberts on Jan. 3, 1995 disclosed a conventional shielded jack. The Roberts jack is provided for mounting to a Printed Circuit Board (PCB) and includes a dielectric housing and a one-piece shield substantially surrounding the housing. The shield also has a pair of solder tails extending downwardly for inserting into appropriate holes in the PCB and for soldering to appropriate ground traces on the PCB. The housing defines recesses in a bottom board mounting wall at a juncture of the bottom wall with a front or side walls of the housing. The shield forms supporting tabs at bottom edges of the shield extending into the recesses for retaining of the shield to the housing.
However, to a connector of multi-port, the elongated front wall of the shield needs to provide more retaining force to abut tightly against a front face of the housing.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,775,946 issued to Briones on Jul. 7, 1998 disclosed a conventional multi-port RJ-type electrical connector. The connector mounted on a PCB includes a plurality of openings in side by side relationship for receiving mating plugs. The Briones connector includes a housing and a one-piece stamped shield. The housing defines a plurality of cavities in a lower side thereof. The shield includes a plurality of latches engaging with corresponding cavities of the housing.
However, the Briones latches are relatively weak, and thus the engagement between the latch with the cavity may be destroyed by repeated insertion and withdraw of the plugs.
Hence, an electrical connector with an improved shell retaining arrangement is needed to overcome the foregoing shortcomings.
A main object of the present invention is to provide an electrical connector with retention means for securing a shell to an insulative housing.
An electrical connector is mounted on a printed circuit board (PCB) and extends into a cavity of an electronic appliance. The cavity of the electronic appliance includes a metallic internal circumference. The electrical connector includes an insulative housing, a plurality of terminals received in the housing, and a shell substantially surrounding the insulative housing. The housing includes front, rear, upper, lower, and side surfaces. A plurality of protrusions project from the lower surface of the housing. The shell has a plurality of tabs stamped from the shell and thereby defining corresponding holes engaging with the protrusions of the housing.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
FIG. 1 is an exploded view of a modular jack according to the present invention.
FIG. 2 is an assembled view of FIG. 1.
FIG. 3 is another assembled view of FIG. 1 taken from a bottom aspect.
FIG. 4 is a front view of an electronic appliance assembly according to the present invention.